Community groups and residents from Rockville Centre and beyond gathered at Smith Pond at Reverend Morgan Days Park on April 13 to clean the waterway and surrounding areas, collecting more than 50 bags of garbage.

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblywoman Judy Griffin hosted the rally and clean-up with help from the village and local community groups. It came in anticipation of Earth Day, which is celebrated each year on

April 22.

“Smith Pond is one of the crown jewels of Rockville Centre, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure its beauty, cleanliness and ecosystem is preserved for our community to enjoy for decades to come,” said Kaminsky, who serves as chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.

“Through today’s efforts you can see how strong we are when our community stands together,” added Griffin, who is a member of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee. “I am proud that hosting this cleanup encouraged so many wonderful organizations to participate.”

The state representatives organized the cleanup after hearing from residents that Smith Pond and Morgan Days Park could use some attention. They partnered with local community organizations to coordinate the effort, including Central Synagogue-Beth Emeth; Raising Voices USA; the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce; the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery; the Rockville Centre Conservancy; the village’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center; the Rockville Centre Youth Council; the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre, All Our Energy, the Boy Scouts of America, Indivisible of RVC and the United Church of Christ.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen, a Rockville Centre resident, and U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice also attended the effort.

“It is a wonderful thing that our state representatives care about our environment, the people of Rockville Centre, and our surrounding areas,” Rockville Centre Mayor Francis X. Murray said in a statement. “We really have to take care of our environment today more than ever before, and we are dedicated to making Smith Pond and all our waterways in Rockville Centre a place to enjoy.”